//------------------------------// // Introducing Sica and A Bit of a Hiccup // Story: The New Guy // by SilverWind102 //------------------------------// Silver awoke with a groan and muffled mumble, attempting to bury his head further into the fluff he'd fallen asleep in. At some point last night, Onyx had fallen asleep on the couch, still tucked up against Silvers side. It was after she began her snoozing that Twilight and Luna finally emerged from the shower and noticed the sight of the two of them on the couch. After some teasing and muffled giggles, Silver tucked Onyx into bed and went to join his mares. Their activities from that night hadn't exactly been rough, but still having to satisfy two mares wasn't entirely easy. And now, Silver had to get up. For whatever reason, his body seemed to remember that his training started today, even if his mind didn't. So here he was, waking up probably just as Celestias sun had cracked over the horizon, though since his room lacked windows, he couldn't be sure. Lifting his head off the pillow and shaking the sleep from him, Silver looked over to see Lunas horn casting a faint glow. It was then that he realized that she must have been lowering the moon to make way for the sun. “Huh. She took the phrase 'I can do it in my sleep' to heart.” Looking past Luna and to the smaller mare on the other side of her, Silver gushed a little as he took in the sight of Twilight cuddled up and nuzzling into Lunas chest. Her nose was scrunched up and twitching every so often as she let out little whistles of snores. Luna, for her part, had her hooves wrapped around her, holding the lavender alicorn close. Of course, her affection was also shown to Silver as she allowed his paws to wrap around her waist and pull her close against him. In essence, Silver was the biggest spoon, Luna the big spoon and Twilight was the smallest, and also facing the wrong direction. But really, who cares? They were getting cuddles! Unfortunately, said cuddles would have to be cut short as Silver had a workout to get to. His regiment was by no means short and sweet. No. It was long and brutal. It promised to push him to his limits and beyond. By the end of the day, he'd probably be broken and exhausted. And because of that his ability to guard the princesses would drop. So now, it was time for the Eventide Guard to finally do it's job. Once again, Luna only had paperwork today, so they wouldn't have to guard her. Celestia on the other paw had day court, and day court meant annoying nobles. Unfortunately, three ponies from the streets of Manehatten didn't exactly sound like a fitting match. Silver just really hoped Ruppy would be able to keep herself under control in front of the nobles. He felt the other two could keep themselves in check, she was the only one he worried about. While most nobles simply strolled by with their noses in the air, there was the occasional ass-hat that had something to say. The wolf just hoped that maybe they wouldn't be there today. For the rest of the week, Celestia wouldn't have much else to do, and by the weekend, Silver would have gotten used to his training so he can take over guarding her again. He pleaded in his mind that nothing go wrong, just for today. All he could do was hope for the best. But now it was time for him to actually get up, instead of lying in bed dreading the near future. Slowly extracting himself from Luna, Silver slipped his arm out from under her before sneaking out of the room. Now away from the two mares and the risk of waking them, Silver trotted into the kitchen for a quick breakfast. Some eggs, toast and juice sounded good, so he got to work cooking. After making his meal and setting it down at the table, the wolf realized that his thoughts about the time had indeed been correct. The sun had only just risen. The sky was still a pale blue, with a tinge of orange on the horizon. In truth, he didn't much care for the sunrise. He never really liked it. It always made him feel uneasy for some reason. Perhaps maybe it was because he was a wolf, and naturally preferred the night. In any case, Silver decided to ignore the sun and focus back on the food in front. As he continued eating, he heard a door open up from the right hall. A few moments later, he saw Onyx shuffle out, her baggy shirt stained with drool. The mare didn't even notice him as she went into the kitchen to float out a bowl, cereal and milk. It wasn't until she turned around and put her bowl on the counter that she saw the wolf at the table. “Oh...” she said, “You're up?” Silver nodded before swallowing, “Yeah. Star finally gave me my regiment for training. I'm starting today.” Onyx took a seat at the counter, “Do you always get up this early to train?” she asked. Again Silver nodded, “I have to. If I don't I won't have time to make it through it all. What about you? You don't usually start until eightish.” “Couldn't go back to sleep,” she said before munching on a spoonful. “Ahh,” Silver hummed, “By the way, you, Ruppy and Beats will be guarding Celestia today, so you don't have to train.” That actually got a lively reaction out of the sleepy mare, “Huh?!” she exclaimed, “You mean, just like that? We get to guard the princesses?” Silver nodded, “Well yeah, that's kinda the whole reason why I recruited you, remember? I understand that you're supposed to be guarding Twilight, but she has Star Shine looking after her. So, I'll have you guard Celestia in day court today.” “...Um...” Onyx said hesitantly, “I don't think that's the best of ideas.” Silver paused in his eating, “Why's that?” “Ruppy doesn't exactly get along with nobles....at all,” she explained, “There's a reason why we never go to the castle unless we have to. She despises the upper class as much, if not more, than they despise her.” Silver sighed and hung his head, “Yeah, I was afraid of that. Just try to keep her in check, will you?” The mare at the counter could only look on in confusion. She sat with the same face for a moment before finally speaking, “Did you not hear me? Ruppy despises the nobles. There is no keeping her in check. If one of them so much as looks at her wrong, she's gonna deck them.” “...Seriously?” he questioned, “She hates them that much?” There was no doubt in his mind that she didn't like them, but he didn't think that just being around them would make her so upset. “Silver maybe you don't understand since you're not from Equestria,” Onyx began, “There is a major social divide between what's called the commoners and the upper class. The upper class are the rich and nobility, while the commoners are literally everyone else. You can really see it in the cities like Canterlot...and Manehatten. “The commoners are treated like lesser beings by the upper class. We all hate them, it's just Ruppy is the only one who acts on her hate.” Silver sighed once more as he polished off the remaining breakfast, “So pretty much, she's not going to listen to anyone,” he said. Onyx simply nodded in response, “Alright then. I suppose I can't really blame her. I said she could use her power how she wanted after all. So I guess I'll have you all look after Twilight while Star Shine guards Celestia.” The unicorn shrugged, “That's fine. I'll tell the others when I see them.” “That would be appreciated,” he said, placing his dishes in the sink. He trotted over to Onyx and gave her a quick nuzzle, “I'll see you and the others later. Have fun on your first day!” and with that, he turned and left the home, heading to the back of the mountain. He'd also left a mare sitting at the counter with cheeks full of pink and a half broken mind. “Be still...” “Be idle...” “Be calm...” “Be serene...” Silver sat with absolute inertness. The only movement was his breathing, which even that was almost undetectable. He sat on his haunches, his spread out and flat. Resting on his body were four marbles. One on the tip of each wing, one on his nose and the last balancing on the top of his tail. Birds flew overhead, flies buzzed round and round, the wind rustled and tossed the leaves and yet, there was still no movement from the wolf. Not a flicker of his ears, not a twitch of his tail. Every fiber of his body remained perfectly still. His mind was void of all distractions. He felt the presence of everything in the forest. Each piece of bark of the trees, every blade of grass across the ground. And even the hidden breathes of the pony hiding among the bushes. They did their best to hide their presence. Their breathe was quiet and subtle. Their body was still and stiff. The entirety of their being was completely erased. “I don't know how you got out here, much less how you found me, but I can assure you that if you're here to kill me it won't end well,” Silver said. A minute after speaking, the pony in the bushes made to move and stepped out of the foliage while the wolf simply sat still. They just stood there, their eyes scanning and analyzing the canine in front. Silver continued his meditation for next few minutes while he waited. If the pony wouldn't attack, then there was no reason for him to stop. As the minutes rolled on, Silver began to notice something odd about this pony. They had two scents. One he didn't recognize, but the other was one he knew all too well. “That's a very peculiar scent you have,” Silver spoke once more, “Smells a lot like jasmine. I know a mare that uses a similar soap. In fact, I've used it once or twice myself.” The pony still didn't speak, and Silver still didn't move. Then suddenly, a wave of blood-lust radiated from the pony behind him, like a water fall crashing down onto a still lake below. The wolf reacted instantly, and before the pony could blink, a wing blade was at their throat. “If that was your idea of a joke, then it was a very poor one,” Silver said. “Well I was curious to see how you'd react,” the pony said, revealing she was a mare, “Though I do feel accomplished, I managed to make you drop your marble.” Silver simply smirked. It was then that the mare realized Silvers paw had risen, on it sat a small, blue ball. In the flash that he moved his wing, the ball simply dropped down with no motion in any other direction. Silver raised his paw just as the ball left his wing, so it only dropped a fraction of an inch. “I still managed to get you to move, so that's a bonus,” she said. “Yes, I suppose,” Silver admitted. Another silence still drew out between the two. “Aren't you going to lower your wing?” she asked, the tip of his metal feather still aimed at her throat. “Are you going to tell me how you managed to get out here?” he asked, never turning to mare and continuing his meditation, “I went to great lengths to ensure that no one could get into my home without my permission.” “Princess Twilight let me in,” she answered, “I'm the newest addition to the Eventide Guard.” “And you're here because?” “Because I thought I should meet my new boss.” “You've already met your boss. Twilight interviewed you, didn't she?” “I assumed I would be answering to you.” “No. I am not part of the guard, though I am training a few of it's members. Your employer will be the crown and no one else. Even if I was part of it, I'm guarding Princess Luna and Celestia at the moment. If anything, Star Shine would be your boss.” “Ah...I see.” Another silence rang out, and Silvers wing didn't flinch. “Do you not trust me?” she asked after a minute. “How am I to trust someone who doesn't even tell me their name after sneaking up on me?” “First, I didn't sneak up on you. You knew I was there the entire time. You probably knew the moment I stepped off the back porch. Second, you never asked for my name.” “I didn't think I'd need to. But if you insist, what is your name miss?” “Sicarius Silentum,” she introduced, “Though you may call me Sica.” Finally bring his wing back out to his side, Silver undid his Steel Wing and placed the marble back on the edge, “I don't suppose you'd happen to be the mare from Twilights library yesterday?” “I am indeed,” she said, wandering around to the front of the wolf, “And might I get your name?” “You already know my name. You assumed I would be your boss, so it's only natural that you'd know my name.” “Hmm, yes but seeing as how I introduced myself, would it not a courtesy for you to do the same?” “My name is Silver Wind.” “It's very nice to meet you. And if you're not going to be my boss, then what are you going to be to me?” “Nothing,” he said simply, “I am tasked with protecting the princesses, though I am not a part of their guards and will operate independently. Therefore, you do not need to concern yourself with me.” “You seem to be quite cold towards me. Is it something I did?” “Yes. You insist on lying to me.” “I am not lying.” “You are. You didn't come here to meet your new boss, other wise you wouldn't have hidden your presence.” “Perhaps I didn't want to disturb you.” “If you could tell I knew you were here the moment you came onto the mountain, then you'd know that even if you did interrupt me, it would mean very little since your presence was already known.” “Hmm, I suppose you have me there,” she said with a small giggle, “Alright. I confess. I simply wanted to see what the infamous Shining Fang did for training.” Silvers eyes slowly crept open. They were glazed over with a dull tone that sucked the kindness from their warm, hazel color, “How do you know?” “Do you not recognize this?” she asked stepping back to reveal her whole self in Silvers view. The wolf gave her a once over, taking notice of the mares appearance. Her cream coat and mane were simple, though her freckles and snout were a separated her from the average pony. Her height was also different as she was a fair bit taller than most mares, standing at around Lunas height. But the strangest thing was her robes. Thick black robes covered her body, up to her neck. Her mane was tucked under it once it reached the hood, and even her tail was covered. On the back of her nape was a rice hat, tied around with a string. The sleeves were long enough that the dragged along the ground, so that when she walked, not even her lifted hoof would show. Of course, this told Silver all he needed to know. “The Remnants,” he sighed, “I didn't think they had any temples in Equestria.” “They don't,” Sica informed, “Or at least, not officially. After all, how would the princesses feel if they knew that their country was being used to train assassins?” Yes. The temple of the Remnants. Among the world, they are know as one of the worlds deadliest organizations. They take in strays and orphans and give them the knowledge and skills to kill. Some of their assassins have even been trained since birth. “So you hide,” Silver concluded, “And yet, you still insist on wearing the black robes?” “It's traditional,” she said, “Besides, Equestria is mostly peaceful. Very few ever ask for our services so not many know of our presence here.” “So is that why you've decided to join the Eventide Guard? Business is slow?” “It's one reason,” Sica began, “In truth, we actually do care about the princesses. Their presence influences the world greatly, so we'd much rather keep them alive for as long as possible. We have operatives in every guard, from Celestias here to Cadences in the Crystal Empire and now even Twilights.” “And what makes you think telling me that would be a good idea?” he asked, “What if I find the Remnants to be a danger to the princesses? What would keep me from killing you all?” The mare giggled again, “Because we're your best chance at keeping the princesses alive. We're the greatest assassins in the world, and we haven't tried to kill them before. Besides, would you really go and kill off your own entertainment? Your government bounties may have been receded, but we still do get request from private parties for your head.” “So you are here for me?” “I already said I was here for Princess Twilight,” Sicarius trotted around Silver in circles, “I heard all the stories about you. Your power, your greed, even that libido you had. And now when I look at you, I don't see where the stories came from.” “Stories are from the past. As time goes on, the characters in them change with world.” “Oh? Is that so? So you mean to tell me that there's no trace of the Shining Fang left in you?” “Would you care to find out?” he responded coldly. This mare seemed tempted to bring out the worst of Silver. Another giggle, “I'd much rather not. I'm not that foolish.” Silver raised a paw and removed the marble from his nose, then the ones from his wings and tail. He put them in a small bag off to the side, “Good. It seems the younger generation won't die a horrible death.” “Are you done now?” she asked. Silver shook his head, “With meditating, yes. With training, no. I still have plenty to do.” “That was meditating?” she asked with genuine surprise, “Those marbles had enough explosive energy to take out a home. The only reason I found you was because of the energy they gave off.” “Yeah, that's Star Shines idea of motivation. She pretty much told me if I didn't want to loose a limb then I'd better concentrate. Unfortunately, most of her training is like this. If you'd like, you're free to join me. I doubt you can do my regiment, but you can practice your own.” “Oh? Being friendly now?” “All I wanted was to make sure you weren't hostile. There were a few moments when I couldn't quite tell, but I feel now that you won't pull anything stupid.” “Well I'm glad you approve of me. In any case, I believe I will join you. Lead the way.” Silver walked over and picked up a large bag before trotting back through the forest until he came to another clearing. This one didn't have trees surrounding it, but rather large boulders. “A rather drab place to take a girl on the first date,” Sica joked. Silver simply rolled his eyes, “Do you have anything particular for your practice?” “Oh no, I never said I was going to practice. I only said I was joining you. I told you earlier, I'm here because I want to see what it takes for you to train.” “Then watch closely,” Silver replied before walking towards a cluster of boulders. Each one was easily twice his size and at least four times his weight. In a swift motion, Silver swept out his wing, catching the bottom of one of the over-sized rocks and flinging it straight into the air. He did it again, and again and again. Just as he launched the fourth one in the air, the first one was half way to the ground. The wolf bolted into the sky, then kicked the rock with his back leg and sent it flying back up. Silver followed after it, catching the others as they fell too. Soon, he fell into an act of juggling boulders in the air, kicking them and flicking them with his wings. He twisted and turned and flipped in the sky, never letting one of them slip past him. “This is his training? He's juggling boulders in mid air? With only his body and no magic?!” Sica sat stunned. She was glad he no longer found her suspicious. Otherwise, there would be no escaping him. She'd heard the stories of Saber, the Shining Fang and his skills, both on and off the battle field. They were legendary among the temples, and now she was beginning to understand why. This wolf was insane. Not just in the head, but also in terms of his life. She didn't want to meet the one that came up with the idea to do this for his training. Ruppy laid on her back on the floor of the Golden Oaks Library, a book in her hooves above her. Onyx was in a similar position, only laying on her stomach and not her back, her book sitting in front of her. Beats was in the kitchen with Spike making snacks. In short, the three were bored. Twilight was in an interview with another applicant, one that they were all sure would fail. The stallion could barley lift his own body weight, was way too up tight and from what Ruppy could smell, a frequent visitor of the Tartarus Tavern. After another half hour of sitting there reading, the mares finally caught wind of the farewell Twilight was delivering. “Thank you so much for your time. I'll send a letter to you in a few days to tell you about the results,” she said as she walked the stallion to the door. He held his head high as he trotted across the library, giving an arrogant smirk to the mares on the floor as he strode by and out of the door. Twilight watched him as he left, waving a hoof good bye before closing the door. The moment it clicked shut she fell to her haunches with a loud sigh. “I second that motion,” Ruppy said, “That guy was an ass.” “That's a rather rude way to put it, but yes,” Twilight agreed, “I still can't believe so many of the ponies in Ponyville are like that though. I've never seen this side of them.” “I don't think they are from Ponyville,” Beats pitched in as he came into the room with a platter of salads and crackers with cheese balanced on his wings and back, “Before I came to Ponyville, there was already talk among the streets of your guard, Princess. From what I can tell, you've only been trying to hire the locals and I doubt any of them have any interest since they all have their own roles in a small town like this. So that means that the ponies from other cities and towns would have to come here, since you're only hiring in Ponyville.” Twilight shuffled over and floated some crackers to munch on, “Well I'll admit, that certainly makes sense. The train station has been a little crowded lately. And I don't remember seeing many of the faces of the applicants in Ponyville until after I released the papers for sign ups. I suppose I should try posting in other places as well.” “Speaking of applicants,” Ruppy chimed in, “How many more are left? Cause this is really boring.” Twilight giggled, “Don't worry, he was the last one. But I still do have papers to go over.” A choir of groans and whines came from the three guards. “Oh yeah,” the mare pegasus began again, “Whatever happened to that other guard? The one you said might be joining us?” “Oh, I sent her over to Silvers a while ago,” Twilight responded, “Although now that I think about it, Silver might have been in the middle of his training. Oh, I hope she didn't disrupt him.” “Well then I'm lucky the mare has tact,” an all too familiar voice came from the hall. All four heads turned and looked to see Silvers popping out from around the corner, “Unlike some mares I know.” The wolf punctuated his sentence with a playful glare at the pegasus on her back. “Silver!” Twilight exclaimed, trotting over to see him, “What are you doing here? I thought you'd still be training.” “I am,” he said, “But I remembered I still needed to go see Vinyl and decided to pop by. And besides,” he said before dragging a mare out from behind him, “I couldn't let this one skip out on guard duty.” “I thought you said you weren't my boss,” she huffed. “I'm not, but that doesn't mean I'm not going to make you do your job.” He deposited her onto the floor and she walked into the main room where the others were. “Hello all,” she said with a bow, “I'm your newest teammate, Sicarius Silentum. Please, call me Sica.” “Onyx,” the unicorn said with a nod. “My name is Beats,” the stallion introduced, “I look forward to working with you.” Sica turned her attention to the last of the three. She was also the only one staring with a odd look on her muzzle. “Is there something wrong?” Sica asked. Ruppy continued to stare for a moment before shaking her head, “No. Names Rupture, but call me Ruppy.” “Well it's a pleasure to meet you all,” she replied with a small smile, “I hope we get along well, or at least better than I did with the wolf.” “Papa, were you being a dick again?” Ruppy called over. “PAPA!?” “First, being a dick is my default setting,” Silver retorted, “If you'd like to change that, please refer to the instruction manual. Second, why are you calling me Papa?” “I thought I established this already,” Ruppy replied with a sigh, “You're Papa, then there's Mama Twilight and Mama Luna.” Silver simply rolled his eyes, “Whatever helps you sleep at night, kid.” The pegasus giggled, while Twilight became a mess of blush and embarrassment. “S-so Silver, is that the only reason you came by?” Twilight asked, trying to quickly change the subject. The wolf shrugged, “More or less. I wanted to see how far Vinyl had gotten in just a day.” “I doubt she's gotten very far,” Twilight said, “This is a very unique project after all.” Silver agreed, “Which is why I'd like to see it as it progresses. Anyway, I'd better hurry. I've already finished the Split Seconds and I need to get to Stars for the Golems. I'll see you later in the evening though, okay?” Twilight nodded before pecking his cheek, “Later it is.” Silver returned the gesture and then strode out the door while Twilight was moving back over to the piles of paper. Sica, for her part, was having trouble keeping her surprise under control. “But you thought you'd never see that,” Ruppy snickered. “I can't believe it,” Sica said as her jaw went a bit slack with shock, “And here I've been trying to flirt with him all morning while he's with a princess.” Twilight steps stopped. Apparently, she'd said that a little louder than she wanted. The alicorns head never turned to look at the robed mare, and just stood there for a moment. After it passed, Twilight simply shook her head and went to her papers. “Ooooh~” Ruppy teased, “Don't feel too bad though. It could have been worse. It could have been Luna that heard you, and I doubt you would have walked away from that one.” “Princess Luna too!?” Sica exclaimed, “Then are they all...” “I'd appreciate it if you would all stop discussing my relationship, literally, behind my back,” Twilight said, not even turning around to face the group, “Yes Sicarius, I am in a herd with Silver and Luna.” “Oh my...” Sica said, “I've never heard of some pony doing that, but I suppose it's none of my business.” In truth, all she wanted to do was dig more. She'd heard the stories of back when Silver slept around, and the notches on his bedpost were by no means a mere few. There were even rumors of a possible pup born from one of his flings. But then again, those were just rumors. This was actually real. Silver had some how found a way to get two mares, princesses nonetheless, to agree to a herd. Now if only she knew it wasn't his idea in the first place. Silver wandered through the halls of Star Shines impossibly large home. He'd dropped by Vinyls for a moment to check on her progress, but found she was nose deep in working and was promptly sent away by Octavia. To him, it was of little concern though. In fact, Silver actually was glad she was working so hard. He knew he was getting his moneys worth. Perhaps maybe he'd though in a bit extra for her dedication. After minutes of walking, the wolf had finally arrived at the “Backyard” as they called it, since Star Shines home lacks an actual one. Upon entering the room however, he noticed it was empty. Ducking into the observation room, he did not find her there either. “Well if she's not here, then she's probably at her lab,” Silver concluded aloud. Turning back and wandering once again through the halls, the wolf made his around the home. Out of all the houses he'd seen, Star Shines was by far the largest. Her home was actually less of a home and more of a base, with various sections and wings scattered throughout. How she manged to build all of this was completely beyond him. But then again, it was Star Shine. After another few minutes of walking Silver came to the steel double doors that led into the lab. Not so foolish as to waltz right in, in fear of getting caught up in some insane experiment, the wolf raised a paw and knocked. “Enter!” she shouted through. Silver opened the doors find Star Shine sitting at her desk. Her lab was, like the rest of her home, incredibly large. It started off on a raised deck as an office space with filing cabinets and a large crescent shaped desk. The steps leading down from the platform opened went to the rest of the dome shaped room. Various machines, tables, refrigerators and Empress knows what else were placed among the room. Silver could already hear Twilights squeals, assuming she hadn't seen it already. “Hey,” Silver greeted, “ Tia's day court over already?” “Yeah, there weren't many request today,” she answered, swiveling around in her chair to face him, “What about you?” “Training,” he replied, “You wanna go get the Golems started?” Star Shine sighed, “We might have to put that on hold. We got a problem.” “Problem?” Silver echoed, “What problem? Is it about the Zodiac Tome?” “Yes, unfortunately. It seems that the reason my original findings were so inconclusive was because this book can't be analyzed.” Silver cocked his head, “What do you mean it can't be analyzed? You're Star Shine, you can analyze anything.” “As happy as I am to hear you admit to my genius, I'm afraid I mean exactly what I say. This book cannot be analyzed or carbon dated or anything. I think it's made from a foreign material, one that the machines don't recognize. All you can do is read it, which even then, with out the first pages it's useless.” “If you can't analyze it, then how did you detect alicorn magic before?” “I used magic, not machines. Unfortunately, I don't know any spells for locating the origins of unknown materials, although I should probably make a spell for that. In any case, I can't figure out where this book came or who wrote it.” “So what do we do then?” Silver asked, “We have no way of finding out where this thing came from, who wrote it or anything.” “Well, I figured we should have Black Wing take a look at it. Maybe he can read the magic and get a least something. But our best bet is simply to ask the princesses. They're the only ones with any kind of a connection to this.” “Valid point. Alright, we'll talk to them later,” Silver said with a sigh. Oh well, at least he won't have to interrogate his marefriend, “Come on, let's go to the Backyard. I need to blow off some steam.” “Same.”